Name: Diana Bish
Age: 26
School: Ohio University in Athens
Hometown: Eastlake, Ohio
What helped me choose a college: I initially picked it because it was ranked number one in the state for my major. When I visited, I saw that the campus was gorgeous. It was the perfect size, and I could see myself loving being there for four years.
Best thing about your school: There was always something to do, a place to sit and be cozy and something to become part of. You had your choice of activities, and everyone seemed to want to be friends rather than waste energy avoiding relationships.
Worst thing: I loved the red brick sidewalks on campus, but they were difficult to navigate in the winter when they were covered in snow and ice.
Fun fact/club/activity about my school: The Burrito Buggy. Bright orange and parked at the corner of the major uptown crossroads, you have to stop and have one. A very affordable and gluttonous treat after an evening uptown with your friends!
My extracurricular activities: Advertising sales for the school newspaper, The Post; Society of Professional Journalists; promotions/marketing director for the student center.
Name: Liz Rosenthal
Age: 21
School: Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va.
Major: English
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.
What helped me choose a college: I wanted to go to a college outside of New England, and Mary Washington was the best college academically for the price. The campus is also beautiful.
Best thing about your school: The size of the school is great. With about 4,000 students, it allows you to make close friends right away and, more importantly, keep them. Some of my best friends are people who were in my dorm freshman year.
Worst thing: The administration is difficult to work with sometimes. The food isn’t anything to write home about, either.
Fun fact/club/activity about my school: Something that I think really makes Mary Washington unique is that it does not have a Greek system. This makes the social scene less competitive, and there is no sense of needing to fit in to a certain social group. Overall, this just makes it a much less stressful environment.
Name: Laura Parvey
Age: 22
School: University of Montana in Missoula
Hometown: Dillon, Mont
What helped me choose a college: The university offered a strong academic opportunity, and it had the only journalism program in the state of Montana. Lower-division class sizes were pretty small, and upper-division class sizes averaged a decent 20 people.
Best thing about your school: The university has a community atmosphere with a gorgeous campus. On nice days, it isn’t uncommon to see professors teaching outside, games of Frisbee, students playing with their dogs, someone playing his guitar and people just communing at the center of campus in a courtyard area called the Oval.
Worst thing: The lack of state funding is definitely at the top of the list. Fun fact about my school: We’ve got the best mascot in the U.S., literally. Our Grizzly mascot, Monte, is the 2003 Mascot of the Year!
Extracurricular activities: Working for the college newspaper took up most of my time. I would try to sneak out of the newsroom for some hiking or biking. I was also a member of Golden Key National Honor Society. I also volunteered for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar
Name: Andy Allen
Age: 21
School: University of Dayton
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
What helped me choose a college: It was referred to me by a relative, so I visited and loved the atmosphere.
Best thing about your school: Unique housing scheme of university-owned town houses in a city block for juniors and seniors creates a sense of community.
Worst thing: The drive from my hometown to Dayton takes more than seven hours.
Fun fact/club/activity about my school: Christmas on Campus. More than 3,000 inner-city children in kindergarten through second grade are bussed to campus and adopted by students for a night of toys, games, crafts, Christmas lights and of course, Santa.
My extracurricular activities: Music ministry, community theater, Christmas on Campus, intramural sports.
Name: Dulari Mehta
Age: 25
School: University of Missouri-Columbia College of Business
Major: Business management
Minor: Art history
Hometown: Cedar Hill, Texas
What helped me choose a college: I first wanted to be a journalism major. Mizzou was big enough to have many opportunities and small enough to leave my mark.
Best thing about your school: The contacts and opportunities presented to me at the College of Business gave me an incredible foundation on which to build, no matter where I went or what career I pursued.
Worst thing: It needs more diverse and updated curricula to prepare students, theoretically speaking.
Search for more than
2.2 million scholarships!